Reporter at The Canberra Times

Wests/UC will take on Queanbeyan in the final of Cricket ACT’s Douglas Cup, finalising the semi-final wins on Sunday which both teams had looked destined for.

After a first innings tie, ANU needed an outright victory over Queanbeyan and had their opponents “very, very worried” when at one stage they looked like pulling it off.

It took “one hell of an innings” from Vele Dukoski to rescue them.

The students started the day 57 runs ahead, declaring at 8/212 with 55 overs left to play to give themselves a chance at victory.

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With Queanbeyan needing only a draw to advance, it seemed unlikely, but they were quickly in trouble at 3/10 and their regular batting maestro Jono Dean had been relegated down the order with an illness which forced him from the field.

But Dukoski, who was this week named Futures League player of the year after his first season with the ACT Comets, came in and rescued the innings with a century.

“He helped saved the day and it was one hell of an innings to be honest with you,” Queanbeyan captain Blake Dean said.

“It was his maiden century for the club and he’s been at Queanbeyan for his whole life, so it’s an amazing achievement for him in a semi-final.”

Dean said his side had some improving to do before the grand final, but paid credit to ANU.

"Taking nothing away from ANU, that was a ridiculous effort from them, they played really well and put us under pressure the whole game," he said.

"They played so well as a team and I think we can learn a lot from that, from what they did as a unit compared to what we did – they took their chances every time they got one … we’ve got a lot to learn from them."

Queanbeyan will meet Wests/UC next week after the latter registered a comprehensive victory over Eastlake.

"Wests are the pinnacle of the competition in my opinion. I think we’ll be the underdogs going into that match," Dean said.

Eastlake started the day on 8/203 and chasing 444, they needed to hang on for a draw to go through to the final.

They lasted only an hour and half before being bowled out for 244, with Michael Shaw extending his maiden century for the club with an unbeaten 124.

Despite the end result not in question, they continued into a second innings, with Wests opener Matthew Condon piling on a quickfire 102 from 63 balls before the captains agreed to call it a day at 0/140.